The Phoenix Myth
We have seen that Kepler's theory about the "Christmas Star" was
attacked by the Jesuit astronomer Burke-Gaffney in 1937, who claimed that his "great
conjunction" was not visible
because the planets were too close to the sun. According to contemporary experts,
and an eye-witness report by an astronomer of a similar event, the planets of 6 BCE were clearly
visible, but only for a few weeks due to the
approaching sun. This controversy brings another unsolved mystery to mind: The
famous Phoenix of Antiquity. The early Church associated its fiery death and
rebirth from ashes with Christ's death and resurrection.
If we look at the astronomical facts, we find that after March
21, 6 BC (vernal equinox), the Sun “ruled” Aries, and all planets known to the
ancients passed through the first sign -- as if paying tribute to the almighty Sun. If
we check the computations of Tuckerman, they confirm that Venus,
Mercury and the Sun joined Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars in Aries. We can only
speculate why this made it such an important omen. Plato comes to mind, he was
widely read by the medieval clergy, where such planetary line-ups are linked in Timaeus to the fullness of time.
This also reflects the belief of the Chaldean astrologer Berossus of Babylon
who held that certain line-ups of our Solar system have an immense force over
water and fire. This force allegedly caused, or at least announced, the global
inundations and conflagrations in pre-historical times, of which the Deluge and
Atlantis are the only remaining Western legends. Which takes us straight to the
current discussion of the Mayan calendar, where such a disaster is forecast for 12. 21, 20012, and which our modern Bible "prophets" are beginning to interpret as Armageddon. With the
help of our phoenix calculations, which are much more precise and ominous, we
will expose this flawed theory
by
showing that there is not a planetary line-up. Besides, if the Mayas
were right, the world should have ended 853.85 years earlier, in
January of
1159 CE, when the planetary positions were quite similar. The only
difference is that the Sun is still about 30 degrees away from
Sagittarius. (see Mayan Prophecy)
Although Kepler's triangles of 1604 are not a "phoenix event" because the symbolism of death and rebirth is
reversed, the astronomer observed a very wet year. He also noted some
strange "vibration" during the line-up that made everyone more intense and
creative. There was quite a bit of creative "agitation" in the first decade of
the 17th century, such as the Counter Reformation, Rosicrucian manifestos, Kepler's discoveries, the
Cronica of Pujades, and Shakespeare's major works, and the burning of "witches". Kepler
said "even Neckar wine was cheap" because of the humidity -- which
is a
good premise for a project on tree rings. A similar, but unrelated planetary line-up (1941) marked WWII, where another strange "vibration" is documented
by the intense and agitated speeches we
know from the newsreels. This is another important aspect of our project,
because if some obscure radiation from these line-ups is identified some day,
from Solar activity or outer space, this could help us avoid many wars in the future!
A good reason to pursue this idea a bit longer!
Let's start by taking another look at the two triangles in the sky, as the
Magi would have seen them shine down on Bethlehem: They fuse into a "Star of David"
or Magen David that seems suspended in perfect perspective above the horizon. Yet if we ignore
the perspective,
we can easily imagine the shape of a large bird, with a head and tail, two legs,
and its wings spread wide, soaring silently above the horizon -- shortly before it is
"burned" by the Sun.
According
to Herodotus (5th cent. BCE), who is quoting another source, the Phoenix is
allegedly partly red
and partly golden, which happens to be the colors of the three planets, Mars
being the red planet. It flies from Arabia to Egypt, from the east to the west,
which is the course of the planets as seen from Earth. The phoenix dies at
Heliopolis, the Temple of the Sun, which is a symbolism that is also
supported by the astronomical facts. Herodotus mentions that it has the general shape and
size of an eagle, which is the relative size of the hexagram as seen at the
horizon. And the above triangles appear in the correct esoteric order: The watery
forms first, symbolizing matter and death, followed by the fiery as spirit and rebirth. Even the
given lifespan of 500 years is
a somewhat "astronomical" number that supports our theory.
We may have to wait until a qualified astronomer joins our quest and explains
if Kepler went beyond the 800-year cycles he proposes in "De Stella Nova",
because he knew very well that Saturn and
Jupiter were not in conjunction at around 800 CE. (They occurred on Feb. 15, 789, and Oct. 11, 809).
Your gatekeeper corresponded with the Viennese astronomer Ferrari d'Occhieppo, but he
rejected our hexagram as the Christmas Star. Until his
death in March, 2007, the "professor emeritus" maintained that the wisemen followed "Zodiacal Light"
at the time of the Saturn-Jupiter conjunctions and was convinced that it will be confirmed some day by cuneiform texts.
It's something we'll definitely have to look for! But what's
more important for our researches at this time is that he showed that Babylonians were able
to calculate and predict conjunctions of Saturn and Jupiter in 7 BCE.
The theories of David Hughes and Michael Molnar are only possible because of the
findings of Kepler and Ferrari! Although we don't really know where the Biblical wise men came from, it is
generally assumed that they were Persians from Media, Zoroastrians, who would have had access to
such calculations. But if the phoenix is the actual astronomical event that the
Gospels describe as Star of Bethlehem, the astrologers could have
been Babylonians, Greeks, Arabians, or even (heretic) Jews in the East of Jerusalem.
This is confusing if you take the
Bible literally, because Magi are not kings, and translations define
them as
astrologers or wise men.
Although Kepler features the great conjunction of Saturn, Jupiter and Mars,
it remains unclear why he used shorter cycles, and whether he knew that
the planetary positions repeat in the same location of the Zodiac after 72 orbits of
Jupiter, 29 of Saturn, and a little over 454 of Mars. If we check the data
of
Tuckerman, we can show conclusively that the "planetary triangles" returned
in 849 CE, roughly 854 years after 6 BCE.
WATERY TRIANGLE on
February 11, 6 BC and FIERY TRIANGLE on February 25, 6 BCE
WATERY TRIANGLE on
January 21, 849 and FIERY TRIANGLE on February 01, 849
Your gatekeeper mentioned this discovery to several astronomers
in the 1980's, excited that our solar system moves in cycles of 853.85 years, with
specific line-ups
that isolate Earth behind the Sun as an impressive "focus", but failed to spark any interest. Even Owen Gingerich, the eminent
astronomer and astrophysicist, saw nothing unusual in this phenomenon. It seems
that he eliminated the "inner enemy", the one Einstein mentions in regards to
Kepler, so completely because of his (admitted) Christian faith that it may have closed a part of his mind!
We
are pursuing Kepler's idea that every legend holds a grain of truth, or a
precious pearl, including those
from the "dung of superstition", and believe that millenniums of
astrology cannot be utter nonsense. Isn't it conceivable that the ancients had a
higher sensitivity that we have since lost? If the planets have some kind of
force over us, from some unrecognized radiation and gravity for example, the above cycles
would constitute a "cosmic clock" that might have influenced or even controlled the
evolutionary process. Hence, even the old saying that "history repeats
itself " may be based on these cycles! A simple explanation could be that
the gaseous Solar tides are magnified by planetary line-ups, which would
expose the isolated Earth behind the Sun to jolts of
radiation from its inner core. An effect that could be quite "stimulating"!
Amateurs are fortunate, because we can
have an open
mind without risking an academic reputation! Or, in a sense, we can have an "empty mind" like
Perceval to make every discovery ourselves. It means
that we
must
examine the facts and avoid "believing" others, including experts like
Gingerich! This is why,
before we proceed, Tuckerman's data needs to be compared with the above
triangles. Don't forget that there is no year 0, which is why 6 BCE is -5:
Thanks to the
information age,
we can correct the astronomers of the past -- Burke-Gaffney's
error easily, and even our erudite informant Kepler. Except that Tuckerman's
tables cover "only" 601 BCE to CE 1 (vol.1) and 2 to 1649 CE (vol.2), which
required some additional creativity in the 1980's. During a visit of the Griffith
Observatory (Los Angeles), the astronomer John Mosley generated the triangles on his little computer and
suggested that Radio Shack may have some similar software. But that was
a bit crude, even for an amateur, and a good friend at JPL (Pasadena) was kind
enough to "motivate" a technician at NASA to run geocentric print-outs of
specific Solar and
planetary positions in 860 and 6 BCE, as well as 849 and 1703 CE. As proof,
here is an example for Feb. 14 to Feb. 24 for for 6
BCE. It confirms our triangles -- and Tuckerman's calculations, because they are practically
identical:
It should be pointed out that this
clandestine effort was
quite illegal, and felt like being in a spy novel, because the facilitator was
a Russian-American. And
behold, the spirits of Glasnost and Champagne (not Marie's,
but the bubbly) brought a major break-through for our project and rewarded us with
a few additional appearances of the fabulous Phoenix, bringing the total to
four:
The rough sketches show several metamorphoses: The transformation from a
watery to a fiery triangle, a more compressed shape of the triangles each time -- and a shift of roughly 6.5 degrees forward
and finally passing the vernal equinox. The process is dynamic
because the relative positions of the planets change slightly each time. Saturn
and Jupiter reach their positions later, while Mars keeps gaining. Consequently,
each subsequent hexagram is more compact, more perfect, until it finally
dissolves. A first clue that phoenix periods come and go!
The equinox of 6 BCE is
kept at 0 degrees to visualize the shift every 854 years. How this relates to the precession of equinoxes,
which is usually calculated as one degree every 70 years, needs to be explained
by an astronomer to us. But it is quite clear that this spectacular, recurring
event is unique and was observed by the ancients. Although the “great Platonic
year” is seen today as the 26,000 years of an entire precession orbit, it is
likely that our “phoenix cycle” is a better match. The planetary line-ups in
Aries every 854 years convince in view of the
Platonic numbers 54/108 from Hesiod’s riddle, according to
Plutarch, and are even supported by the oracles of
Balaam in the Old Testament.
Although Kepler worked on the Rudolphine Tables, which were
very accurate, we can only speculate that Kepler used excessive flattery, like
Chrétien, as a satire of an alleged patron to calculate 800-year-cycles from
1604 CE to the birth of Christ? This warrants another afternoon at the library with
Kepler's works and the interesting "Nachbericht" of Max Caspar! We
need to double-check if Kepler mentions that the fiery triangle of 6 BCE is still in
Pisces, shortly before the planets are "consumed" by the Sun in Aries! In this sense, the "Star" or phoenix heralds the
fullness of time because all planets
are "burned" by the sun during the day, to
return for a "new beginning" in the First Sign.
The little sketch below shows the line-ups
during the fiery triangle
on the following days:
1) March 20, 860 BCE 2) February 25, 6
BCE, 3) February 1, 849 CE, 4) January 8, 1703 CE.
|
 |
The metamorphosis from the watery to the fiery triangle occurs in a celestial area of
roughly 10 degrees. The sketch at left shows an exaggerated zigzag
line at the time of the fiery triangle, because it's an extreme examples
of something being "not to scale".
In view of the great distances, a variation of four
degrees makes it still appear like a straight line from Earth to the Sun, and all the way out to
Saturn. For skeptics, here's another sample from JPL so that any expert can confirm the authenticity of the data for the Fiery Triangle in 1703:
2343084.5
1703 JAN 18
Mercury:
287.08 -1.50 Venus:
294.26 -.85 Moon:
304.21 -1.41 Mars: 5.97 -.09 Jupiter: 8.43 -1.23 Saturn:
4.39 -2.37
This means that the phoenix will make
its next appearance in 2556
CE, with a perfect hexagram and fulfillment of time
at Christmas. Too bad we can't wait that long to see it with our own
eyes! |
|
The
next chapters will introduce internal and external evidence, going beyond
the Christian scenario, to demonstrate that the triangles in the sky were
observed and interpreted as a prophetic symbol for new eras every 854 years. The
evidence will lead to two opposing conclusions: Either, the ancients believed in
this superstition so strongly that they changed history because of their
beliefs, or the line-ups themselves generate an unknown, natural force that
influences certain events on Earth.
If we
consider the perplexing fact that our Solar system moves in a cycle of
854 years, and that on special occasions the triangles herald a line-up of our
entire Solar system, an immense line from Earth all the way out to Saturn, we
may have to conclude that this event represents not only the Phoenix, but also
the fullness of time, which is so often mistaken for
the Apocalypse, and the Star of Bethlehem. Whether real or imagined, the claim that the ancients observed this phenomenon is difficult to accept today. But in a world without
television, books, cars and any of the other modern conveniences, the peoples of
the Mediterranean and the Middle East had every night to contemplate the whole,
unpolluted vault of the sky. This is probably why there are so many related
texts, which connect to the triangles in the sky and which are
difficult to dismiss as mere coincidences. They relate to 860 BC, 6 BC, and 849,
and are from the Bible, Plato's Timaeus, Plutarch's Moralia (de
defectu oraculorum), early grail romance, and other sources. They indicate
that the celebrated Aristotelian revolution may have also had its price: The lost
“gnosis” about a link between astrophysical and genetic phenomena, the Macrocosm and the
Microcosm. Which is probably why Chrétien started his grail
poem with the parable of the seed to lead to a grail that "shines so brightly
that the light of the candles faded like the stars, when the Sun or Moon
rise"...
In a sense,
the examples confirm Kepler who is considered today not only the father of
modern astronomy, but also the last of the ancient astrologers. He wrote a
whole treatise in 1609 on de nive sexangula (the six-cornered snowflake)
as a "gift of nothing” to a friend. While crossing the famous
Charles Bridge
in Prague on a cold winter day, a snowflake landed on his sleeve and he
wondered about the "agent" that could force every snowflake to have
six corners? Because of the unusual subject matter, it is easy to imagine that he was on his way to a pub to meet the
astronomer David Gans, and discussed this mystery with him over a few
beers. According to the New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia, 1970, p.
726, they were intimate friends! This would explain why Gans, who died in
1612, has a hexagram on his gravestone, which happens to be the first time in
modern history that it was used as a purely Jewish symbol. Yes, we are picking up
where Kepler left off exactly four hundred years ago!
Final
note: According to our findings, the "Star of Bethlehem" is not a Christian
miracle but the phoenix, a mystery from Antiquity.
This opened the door to prophecies in the Old Testament, especially
those regarding Elisah and Elisah. We have also seen that it takes
the planetary hexagram from 860 BCE to 2556 CE to take shape, which is almost
3500 years, or twice as long if we disregard the symbolism of the triangles. Kepler observed a similar, but unrelated cycle in 1604. When
we take our project to the next level, the focus will be on other cycles and a comparison with events on our planet, from history to
climatology. According to Berossus of Babylon, these planetary
"massings", or line ups, at other locations in the sky caused the
great conflagrations and inundations. According to Plato, many civilizations were
destroyed, either by water in the valleys or by fire in the mountains. The
Platonic concept that our planet is a living organism may get some support
if we can show that these line-ups have a direct effect on us. The existence of
such a force "from above" would actually confirm some religious beliefs if we
establish that it guides the evolution. We may find, for example, that
Stalin and Hitler match the First Crusade, which could explain the continuing religious fanatism
of today. The change of climate would explain why so many of our African
ancestors followed the
animals (their food) to the North until they were trapped in a hostile
environment and had to dwell for hundreds of thousand years in caves -- and
slowly turned "white". Maybe the animals they painted
inside their caves were fond memories of better times?
Before we
expand the controversial subject of "race", and visit a Madonna and
Child as black as ebony, we must say that we have reached one of the many crossroads of our quest!
Those of you,
who have difficulty in continuing this winding path of superstition and mythology
may want to return to more solid ground. Master Chrétien would be a good
choice, because his work requires the sharp mind of a philologist. It's
all about history and etymology, and definitely more fun than Balaam, John the
Baptist and Jesus Christ, and some questionable, medieval Trivium
about the Holy Grail. But whichever virtual path you chose, don't be
surprised if you find yourself crossing several times, even in the Catholic
sense. It's the nature of our quest.
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